Goodbye and Thank you...

-We live in a society which generally undervalues the importance of teachers - they who are responsible for our most precious resource. Nothing can be achieved without people - and it starts with the children...
One of the English Language teachers spent her last day of teaching last Tuesday. Kak Sah taught the afternoon session (the form one students) so Mama rarely had the chance to know her well since Mama came to this school 3 years ago. However Mama knows she was a very dedicated teacher, and a very humble one too. Like others before her, we held a farewell ceremony at the school hall. Usually the teachers would deliver their final speech but Kak Sah adamantly refused to although a teacher had volunteered to prepare the speech for her. At first, Mama was quite perplexed why a teacher would be frightened to speak on stage because teachers usually are at ease speaking to and teaching their students and public speaking would not be a problem to them. Then Mama realised that a classroom and stage (with fellow teachers watching ) are totally different scenario altogether.
Sitting behind her during the ceremony, Mama thought "Will I be able to emulate her examples? Can I similarly embrace the challenges (that seem to be tougher) awaiting the teachers nowadays? I hope I will. I think I can."
And so today we say goodbye and thank you ...
embrace the knowledge that you,
have left a lasting legacy,
you have shaped and moulded brilliant minds,
you have guided compassionate souls and generous spirits ...
All of whom will create the cornerstones of the tomorrows still to come.

Thank you, Kak Sah...